Your Forever
by songofamockingjay
Summary: Rose carried her father to his last breath, and the Doctor is her only comfort. Set after 'Father's Day' in Season one.


Rose Tyler carried her father, Peter Alan Tyler, to his last breath. After all of the events of the day, she was emotionally, and physically exhausted.

"Come on, Rose." The Doctor carefully expressed as he gently pulls her to her feet. He takes her hand and leads her back to the TARDIS. After he shuts the door, he lets go of her hand and starts to press buttons in the middle console.

"Where to next?" he softly asks. Rose doesn't answer.

"Rose, where do you want to go next?" he repeats, only to receive nothing again. He looks back at her, and she is leaning against the TARDIS door staring into space.

"Rose?" No reply. Walking slowly, he tries to make eye contact with her.

"I-I- I killed him." She stutters, still staring.

"No, no Rose. You didn't kill your father." The Doctor soothes.

"I did, didn't I?" she desperately gasps as tears start to flow out of her eyes.

"Oh, Rose. Come 'ere." The Doctor whispers as he wraps his arms around her. She buries her face into his tawny green jumper, and listens to his two hearts beat in a synchronized fashion.

"Rose, you know you didn't kill your father." The Doctor tries to comfort.

"Yes I did!" she whines, "And I almost lost you too! It's all my fault!"

"All you wanted was to see your father. It's not your fault." He whispers as he presses his lips to her forehead. She only responds with shaking sobs muffled by his chest.

"Come on, Rose. Let me take you to your room." He suggests. The second he pulls away from her, she puts her head down, still avoiding eye contact.

"Look at me, Rose." He commented. She still made an effort to avert her gaze. "Why won't you look at me?" he questions.

"I don't want you to look at me." She stresses.

"And, why is that?" he asks. "What's wrong with crying?"

"I don't want myself to look weaker than I already am to you." She admits.

"Tears are not a sign of weakness. They're an expression of emotion. And Rose," he pauses to lift her chin forcing eye contact. "You are the bravest woman I know." He reassures. "Now, c'mon. You need to rest." He takes her hand and leads her to her room. The door opens revealing her plush bed with a pink duvet.

"But, Doctor, I don't want to sleep. I'll only dream of him." Rose admits.

"You don't have to sleep, love. Just rest." he comforts. Rose sets herself down on her bed, and the Doctor sits beside her. She leans her head on his shoulder.

"Doctor?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember your father?"

"Yes, Rose, how could I forget?"

"What did you do together?" she asks.

"It's a bloody boring story."

"Please." She begs, still sniffing with tears.

"If you promise you will lay down and try to rest." He offers. She nestles herself on top of her duvet as the Doctor places his hand on her back, rubbing in slow circle.

"Well, he taught me everything. How to make friends, and I learned so much more from him than I did anyone else. Even teachers." He smirks. Rose, still blinking tears out of her eyes, takes the Doctor's hand and holds it to her cheek.

"He was the first one in the house to be taken by the Daleks." He whispers on a sudden serious note.

"Older man, trying to protect all of us. Well, Mum and I." he smiles. "He was a very good bloke though. Loving, caring. Would do anything to make our world a better place." He looks back a Rose, and uses his thumb to wipe away the tears still dripping from her beautiful eyes.

"I shouldn't have let you go see him, Rose. I knew it was going to hurt you." he confesses.

"But I wanted to see him. Just once. Just to see how he and Mum got along, and how he acted. How he talked." Her voice breaks. "I just wanted to know my daddy."

"And I know he appreciated every single moment he had with you." The Doctor annunciates. "Every single moment." Rose curls into a ball and her body shivers with sadness.

"I'm so sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry." The Doctor leans down and kisses her on the forehead. "We'll stay in tonight. Have a normal, human night. That sounds good, yeah?" he asks, desperate to cheer her up. She nods silently, gripping the duvet in her hands out of grief.

"What would make you feel better, Rose?" the Doctor asks softly.

" I don't know." She whispers, reaching for his hand again to place on her flushed cheek. The Doctor starts to move off of the bed, but Rose catches his wrist.

"Stay with me." She gasps. "Please, Doctor."

"Who said I was leaving?"

"You started to move-"

"Only so I could be closer to you." He hushes as he slowly nudges her over, so he could lie across from her saddened form. His arm carefully wraps around her back, while the other hand wipes the tears away. Rose cuddles into his chest, thankful for his caring ways. The atmosphere completely changes in the TARDIS. Instead of adventure and exploration, it has finally felt like home. Comforting, warm, and safe. Safe in the Doctor's arms. Warm on the duvet. Comforting in the three hearts beating in syncopation. Rose's breathing finally slows down enough for her to relax, and after ten minutes or so, exhaustion wins over and she falls asleep. The Doctor slowly untangles himself from away from Rose and places a blanket over her. While tucking the corners of the blanket around her chin, he notices a long bruise streaking down across her collarbone. With a quick click of his Sonic Screwdriver, he glides the beam over her bruised area. The bruise vanishes, and the Doctor leaves the room.

Rose awakens with confusion. Where was she? What time was it? Her quick amnesia rapidly fades when the Doctor enters the room with two mugs of piping hot tea.

"Good morning!" he cheerfully greets as he offers a mug to her. She sits up slowly, as if in pain, and gratefully accepts it.

"What time is it?" she asks while taking a sip of her tea. A splash of milk and two sugars. He knew her too well.

"Only about six thirty in the morning!" he brightly informs.

"I slept all night?" she gasps almost spilling her mug.

"Yeah, grief can really take a toll on you." He sighs. "Where would you like to go today?"

"Nowhere in particular. But I am still tired." She admits.

"Rose?" he whispers.

"Yes, Doctor?" she trills. He hesitates and places his hand on her cheek. She looks down and closes her eyes.

"Rose, I don't think I-" he cuts himself off with a huff of breath.

"Doctor, you don't have to say anything. I know." She tiredly sighs.

"Know what, Rose?"

"I know that I can't be with you forever. And, I know that is just what you'd like." She sniffs, trying to hold back tears. Oh, the significance of tears.

"I will stay with you for every part of your forever, Rose Tyler, I'm sure of it."

And he kept his promise until the white wall was between them, and when he didn't have time to finish his sentence.


End file.
